


Outclassed

by BarbaraKaterina



Series: At The Rope's End [8]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ace Spectrum Characters, Aromantic Characters, International Fanworks Day 2021, Other, Queerplatonic Relationships, Relationship Negotiation, about how they experience relationships, and how they want theirs to go, and literally nothing else, aromantic Stephan Strange, just one long conversation between an aroace guy and a synthezoid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbaraKaterina/pseuds/BarbaraKaterina
Summary: Wong's offhand remark leads Stephen to realise he needs to have a serious conversation with Vision.Part of the End of a Rope verse, makes sense without it but you'll miss the relationship development.
Relationships: Stephen Strange & Vision, Stephen Strange/Vision
Series: At The Rope's End [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1005141
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Outclassed

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I have not abandoned mcu forever! I mean to come back to End of a Rope after I finish posting my current asoiaf fic, which should be in a month-six weeks, roughly, unless my mental health intervenes again. In the meantime, have this, which has been sitting in my wip folder for almost a year. This year’s Internation Fanworks Day, focusing on hidden gems, seemed like the perfect opportunity to post it. It doesn’t get more rarepair than this, givent hat I was literally the first person to tag this ship.

When Stephen returned to the Sanctum after the prison was completed, he collapsed into an armchair in their ground floor guest room in complete exhaustion. 

Not long after, Wong brought him tea, and gave him a worried look. “What happened?” He asked.

“We are outclassed,” Stephen replied grimly, taking the cup. “Woefully, terribly outclassed.“

“By Thanos?” Wong asked, disturbed.

“No,” Stephen said. “by Stark’s ally...and _his_ ally.“

Wong frowned. “There is a new mage present?”

Stephen nodded, sipping his tea. “I don’t know exactly who she is, but she is as powerful as Loki, and seems to know even more about magic, which I honestly didn’t think possible, since that guy knows bloody everything,” and Stephen tried to tone down his irritation, he really did, but it was hard, okay? It was simply not fair that he would never have as much time, or as many resources, to improve his expertise. He didn’t care if that made him sound petulant, it _wasn’t._.

“Oh.” Wong sounded relieved. “Nothing actually happened...your ego was just bruised.”

Stephen gave him the evil eye. “I’d like to see you, oh wise librarian,” he muttered. “I felt like I was at the start of my training all over again.”

“If you were completely useless, they wouldn’t have asked you to be there,” Wong said in what he probably meant to be encouragement.

Stephen refused to dignify that with a response. “How are we supposed to protect the world from mystical dangers,” he asked instead, “if there are mystical dangers like that out there?”

Wong snickered a little. “Well, seems like Stark has the right idea, then. The goal is clearly gaining the loyalty of those powerful outside forces.”

Stephen thought of Vision, and grimaced at the idea that the android would see their time together as some opportunistic manoeuvre in an attempt to ensure he had the power of the Mind Gem on his side. They did talk about the Infinity Stones often, both having intimate experience with them, and in fact, discussed work a lot of the time they spent together. This could, from certain light, look really bad, and Stephen also remembered Christine’s remonstrations from his past life.

“Or,” he said with new determination, “I can simply make them teach me all they know.”

In fact, he was going to make that his first priority after Thanos.

Wong just gave him a look. “Good luck with that,” he muttered, and yeah, Stephen had the feeling he was _really _going to need it.__

__The matter of Vision, however, still lingered in his mind. He knew the android would travel off world soon enough, and he would prefer not to leave such things hanging, so the day before Vision’s scheduled departure, he invited him over to the Sanctum._ _

__It was not the first time Vision was there, but he still spent some time looking over the artefacts before saying: “Not that I do not appreciate the invitation, but we more commonly see each other at the Compound, given your ease of travel, so I wished to ask whether there was a particular reason for requesting me here.”_ _

__“There was,” Stephen admitted. “There are less people here...and I wanted to talk to you.”_ _

__He had made two cups of tea, because even though Vision actually derived little in the way of the usual psychological benefits from drinking it, Stephen knew he liked the ritual, as he liked all connected to cooking and eating. Now, the cups in his hands, he gestured with them towards his room._ _

__Vision seemed a little surprised, but followed him inside and settled in an armchair with the cup Stephen handed him, a questioning look on his face._ _

__Stephen, not for the first time, reflected that while this was still hard, Vision made it immeasurably easier. Stephen had always been rubbish at emotional conversations, but because Vision’s emotions did not work on the same basis as human ones, and his approached tended to be much more analytical, talking to him took away much of the strain Stephen usually felt. There was still the unpleasant vulnerability – yes, he was self-aware enough to admit that, thank you very much, even if only in the privacy of his own mind – but the fear of emotional landmines was gone with Vision, and that was truly an immense relief._ _

__And so he settled into the other armchair, and began._ _

__“During my recent conversation with Wong,” he said, “he made a joking reference to Tony being with Loki because he wanted to ensure a powerful ally.” He saw Vision’s frown and put up his hand. “Take into account that Wong has never met either of them. Of course I realize he is not right,” if only because Loki would simply kill Tony if that was the case, very slowly, probably, and no one sane would risk that revenge, “but it led me to some unpleasant ideas. Given that we are each a guardian of an Infinity Stone...I hope that...” Stephen took a deep breath. “You know that there is more to us than that, do you not?”_ _

__Vision looked at him with a sort of mild surprise. “You mean, do I wonder whether you spend time in my company merely out of professional interest? No. We spend too much time with other...things.” He paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate, then continued: “Your comparison did bring to my mind something I had meant to ask you, however: are we in a relationship?”_ _

__Stephen had to blink a few times. He had not seen that question coming. “Do you want to be?” He asked at length._ _

__Vision frowned at him. “I believe answering a question with another question is considered an evasion strategy.”_ _

__Stephen rubbed his face. “You are right,” he admitted, “sorry. You just...caught me off guard. I...” He took a deep breath and made himself look directly at Vision as he said: “Well, if you mean a romantic relationship, I do not exactly think of us that way. On the other hand, I do clearly see some parallels between us and Tony and Loki, for example, so on some level at least...” Stephen shrugged a little uncertainly. “I am not a big fan of romantic relationships,” he said then, lamely, “and neither am I very good at them. Just ask Christine.”_ _

__“I believe asking Wanda would give you the same response about me,” Vision replied, which made Stephen grit his teeth a little. He did not like thinking of Vision with Maximoff, but he tried not to let it be known too much, because he knew it made Vision uncomfortable. “But – and I hope you will not be angered by this – I discussed the situation with Loki-”_ _

__Stephen choked a little. “You talked about our relationship with Loki?” He asked incredulously._ _

__Vision frowned a little. “Yes. We are friends, I believe, and have given each other advice in the past-”_ _

__Stephen waved his hand. “Of course, sorry. It’s just that my relationship with him is very different, as you know, and I have some trouble imagining it, but go on. What did Loki say?”_ _

__“Chiefly that we should talk, make our expectations of each other clear.”_ _

__“That is generally considered good advice,” Stephen said a little weakly._ _

__There was a silence, and Stephen was not sure what else to say. He would like to make his expectations clear, really he would, only he had no idea what his own expectations were. He knew he was, essentially, comfortable with Vision as it stood now, and he knew that he wanted it all to go somewhere, but where? Search him. He had no clue._ _

__After a moment, Vision continued: “It was also Loki who led me, some time before you and me started spending time together, to study the different orientations and forms of relationships known to humans. I had feared none of it would fit me, but I have to say that though it might not be exact, there are categories I can relate to relatively easily.”_ _

__“Such as?” Stephen asked, trying to sound neutrally curious and not as he felt, which was on tenterhooks. He really hoped Vision was not about to tell him he was exclusively into women, which was a bit ironic, really, given that they had never as much as kissed, nor had he felt an especially strong desire to do so._ _

__“Aromantic asexuality,” Vision replied, making Stephen blink, hard, a few times._ _

__Aromantic asexuality._ _

__He knew of asexuality, of course – he was a doctor – but he had never in his life heard of the other part of that. It seemed relatively intuitive, but still, better safe than sorry, so he asked: “What does aromantic mean, exactly?”_ _

__Vision changed his density a little, that little show of discomfort Stephen found absolutely endearing, as embarrassing as it was. “I am not certain I am the best person for explaining this...”_ _

__Stephen shrugged. “I do not so much need an objective definition. What’s relevant for me is what it means to you.”_ _

__Unfortunately, that seemed to make Vision even more uncomfortable. Stephen supposed he could have simply recited him a definition off the internet. Nevertheless, after a while, Vision seemed to marshal his thoughts and said: “I am not interested in most of the romantic...trappings that seem to accompany human relationships. My enjoyment of company comes from the company, not the atmosphere, so things like candlelit dinners and sitting by the fire seem pointless to me. My qualifier for a good time spent together is simply that the shared activity, be it a conversation or a film or anything else, is worthwhile in itself. Apart from that, lacking hormones, I do not get the human thrill from the usual expressions of affection like small kisses or hand-holding. I appreciate them as expressions of friendship or love, but not to a degree different from any other, because they do not provoke a physical reaction in me. I can simulate all this, as I can simulate the results of sexual pleasure, but it is not natural for me.”_ _

__Stephen was frowning a little. “It’s strange we’ve never discussed this, but...how do you experience happiness? Do you experience it at all? Given that you do not have endorphins or serotonin unless you actually actively try to simulate the effects...”_ _

__“I do have something that I believe is similar, something that I have inherited from JARVIS, though of course the Mind Stone modified it significantly. It is a sense of satisfaction and of rightness in the world which I get when people I consider important to me are happy, and especially when I feel I have contributed to their happiness.”_ _

__Stephen’s frown did not disappear. “That...okay, on one hand that’s nice, but on the other, do you experience happiness independent of other people?”_ _

__“I am not certain I do. That is to say, I also experience similar states when I have learned something useful or accomplished something, but in the end it is tied back to me being able to more effectively help the people around me or communicate with them.”_ _

__Well...Stephen supposed that was, in a way, the ethical ideal, was it not? Only...only he was not sure Vision was anyone’s priority in the same way everyone seemed to be his, and that made him almost sick._ _

__“Okay,” he said. “So how does...how does our relationship figure into all of this?”_ _

__“You are, at the moment, the person whose happiness makes me the most happy,” Vision replied, making Stephen feel – there was really no other word for it – almost giddy with his own happiness. He wondered if this was what people usually felt in romantic relationships. In the past, declarations of love always made him uncomfortable and gave him a sense of obligation, but this was something completely different, “Additionally,” Vision went on, “I find the time spent with you the most engaging and enjoyable of everyone around me.”_ _

__Stephen could not stop his wide grin if he tried. “All right,” he said. “That’s...very good to hear.”_ _

__Vision smiled at him, then asked: “What about you, Stephen?”_ _

__Yeah. Well. It was bound to come._ _

__Stephen took a deep breath, and fought his blush for all he was worth. He was over forty, had mastered two extremely difficult fields, and yet, apparently, it was still not enough. “You are my favourite person to spend time with as well,” he said. “I...care about you, about your comfort and well-being and happiness, very strongly, and being in your company makes _me_ happy. So, as far as this goes, I think we are on the same page.”_ _

__Vision nodded. “I had...assumed as much, to be truthful, because no other hypothesis was consistent with what you said or did unless you were lying. I am more hesitant about...future expectations.”_ _

__Stephen gave him a questioning look._ _

__“A romantic relationship gives a clearer framework of expectations, even though they might not necessarily suit me very well,” Vision explained. “If I understood your statement about ‘not being fan’ of romantic relationships correctly, however, that is not your goal, so I am much more uncertain when it comes to...if you believe our relationship will last, in what form it will last, et cetera.”_ _

__“Oh.” Stephen gave himself some time to think about that. It was not as if he had not considered it before – in fact, it was effectively why he had asked Vision over – but now he had all this new information to take into account. “Well, I...you are right, I am not interested in a...conventional romantic relationship. Like you, I do not have any interest in the romantic trappings, nor in...some of the physical manifestations, though of course I do still have the standard hormonal reactions to some degree, so, um-”_ _

__“Simply tell me what kinds of contact you prefer,” Vision said without any sign of discomfort, which was something, at least. “I am not saying I will oblige you in everything, but I will try to be accommodating.”_ _

__Stephen himself was flushing by this point, and felt like a teenager. Damn it all to hell. “Er...hugs are...nice, I suppose,” he made himself murmur. “Not...generally, I’m not really a hugging person, but with you...yes. Also just...sitting close together, and...” now his voice was so quiet as to me almost impossible to hear, “cuddling, sometimes?”_ _

__Vision nodded, completely unperturbed. “This is all entirely acceptable to me. And what about sex?”_ _

__Stephen blinked. “What about it?”_ _

__“Is that something you need, and would you wish to make it part of our relationship?”_ _

__“Not...particularly?” Stephen said uncertainly. “It was never very...important to me? I don’t think I’m asexual, as such, but I definitely have a very low sex drive, so...I don’t think that’s an issue.”_ _

__“If you are interested, there are many subtypes of asexuality you might recognize yourself in, though I am also aware that not everyone needs a label.”_ _

__Stephen nodded, a little bewildered, and then took another deep breath and said: “As for the future, I...like you. A lot. I am not sure I want to make any kind of permanent commitment – it’s too early for that – but I definitely have long-term hopes for this relationship, and I would like if we could become...someone we could rely on? To always be there for each other, the...oh, I don’t know how to describe it.” This might have been the first time in his life he had wished he had studied humanities instead of the sciences. Perhaps then he wouldn’t get so long in explaining these things._ _

__Nevertheless, against all odds, Vision replied: “I believe I understand.”_ _

__There was a silence._ _

__When it became obvious Vision did not mean to say anything else, Stephen forced himself to add: “What about you?”_ _

__“Oh! Forgive me. I feel similarly to you about this matter, except that I am not certain about the parameters of ‘too soon’.”_ _

__That surprised Stephen. “You aren’t?” Vision did not seem like the type to rush into things._ _

__“Keep in mind that I originated from an AI created to love – for the lack of a better word – Tony Stark, the first person JARVIS ever came in touch with, as soon as possible and as unconditionally as possible,” Vision replied. “Fast strong attachments are in my nature. Letting go of them...is not.”_ _

__Vision changed density again, and Stephen fought a grimace, certain they were both thinking of Maximoff. He’d never wanted be in the same mental category in Vision’s head as her, but he supposed there was no helping it._ _

__“I don’t mean to string you along...” he began carefully._ _

__“You are not,” Vision assured him. “On the contrary, I thank you for making the situation clear from your side. I would simply ask that you indicate your desire for any further steps in our relationship, as I am unlikely to know the right time.” he paused. “I understand that is a lot to put on you emotionally, but I am not quite certain how to avoid that.”_ _

__Yes, it _was_ a lot, but Vision was also right. Stephen took a deep breath. “All right, I can do that,” he said, “as long as you promise to let me know the moment you feel something important to you lacking in our relationship.”_ _

__“I promise,” Vision said immediately._ _

__Stephen smiled at him in relief and considered the situation, then added: “In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that I’d also really like to live with you at some point, I think, but that might be complicated because of our respective jobs. I cannot live outside the Sanctum.”_ _

__Vision, who’d effectively beamed at the initial announcement – no, really, the mind stone seemed to shine brighter – shrugged. “Given the portal magic at your disposal, and given that we can now make a permanent portal fuelled by Tony’s reactors...I don’t think that will be a problem.”_ _

__Right. The permanent portals. The idea of them still gave Stephen a headache, but they would definitely be useful for this, and so he simply nodded and pushed anything else away for the moment._ _

__There was a short silence between them, then Vision said: “Thank you, I believe this has been a very productive and effective conversation. Now...a hug?”_ _

__“Oh god, yes please,” Stephen groaned, and gratefully let himself be pulled up and folded himself into Vision’s arms._ _

**Author's Note:**

> The obligatory disclaimer that everyone’s aroace experience is different.
> 
> I realize, on some level, it would have been better ace/aro rep to make some bubbly, friendly, generally affectionate character aroace to break the stereotypes more, but, I mean...look at End of a Rope. Do you see _any_ bubbly, friendly characters there? I admit they are not exactly my favourite type. Kamala is the closest to an exception, and she’s way too much on the sidelines of the story to delve into her sexuality that closely (besides, there’s different aroace rep in Ms Marvel-verse already). So, Stephen and Vision it is.
> 
> I was 100% sure that my justification for why I think Stephen is aro was already included in an End of a Rope AN, but I can't find it, so:  
> Christine basically says that they dates consisted of Stephen taking her on conferences. We know he has hobbies (like music), so it's not that he's just a complete workaholic. And sure, he's self-centered, but even the most narcississtic assholes tend to take their partners out to expensive restaurants to show of. Plus we never see him flirting with anyone even the slightest bit, which, again, often is what arrogant assholes tend to do, so all of this taken together led me to hc him as aro (grey)ace when I thought about it.  
> Vision’s sexuality, obviously, just works entirely differently from the human one.


End file.
